Why was Bewitched Cancelled? (Explained)
Want to know why was bewitched cancelled? We’ll find out the truth in this updated article plus so much more. Bewitched is a popular comedy series that debuted in 1964 and lasted until 1972.
Even though the sitcom’s popularity fluctuated, audiences around the globe adored the display and its cast of memorable figures.
Viewers were astonished when Bewitched was abruptly canceled, despite the show having been on the air for more than a decade.
What Caused the Cancellation of Bewitched?
Bewitched was canceled because star Elizabeth Montgomery wanted to leave her role as Samantha, the friendly neighborhood witch who tries her hardest to live her life as an ordinary housewife.
Montgomery decided she’d had enough of the show after it had been renewed for its ninth and tenth seasons.
Montgomery’s marriage to the show’s director, William Asher, was falling apart at the same time the cast of Bewitched was.
Although Asher and Montgomery appeared to be the ideal Hollywood power couple on paper, their relationship was fraught with difficulties.
Asher had several affairs during their 9-year marriage.
Montgomery had her own affairs, but the media focused on the actress’s troubled love life, adding to the amount of pressure she was under.
Many people point to Elizabeth Montgomery’s affair with director Richard Michaels, despite the couple’s history of infidelity.
Unlike the many Hollywood elite with whom the troubled couple had previously slept, Michaels was madly in love with the actress.
Numerous men in Hollywood who worked with Elizabeth Montgomery reported having strong feelings for her, including stars such as Dick York, Elvis Presley, and Dean Martin.
Regardless of their history, William Asher made it a point to carry the torch for his late wife.
When they looked back on what had happened, Asher blamed himself for their troubled relationship and Montgomery’s desire to look elsewhere.
Their hit television show may have ended due to their marriage disintegrating, but Asher and Montgomery remained deeply connected after experiencing so much loss together. Their marriage was not the only one ruined by their affairs.
Michaels’ marriage fell apart shortly after Asher’s marriage to Montgomery ended, allowing Michaels to begin dating Montgomery himself.
Who Created the Bewitched Introduction?
Ed Benedict, a Hanna-Barbera artist, created the cartoon introduction to Bewitched.
This is the same animation studio responsible for classic cartoons like The Jetsons, The Flintstones, and Scooby-Doo.
Hanna-Barbera had previously worked with the majority of the Bewitched cast and would return to them for future projects.
Sandra Gould, the second actress to play Agnes Kravitz, the Stephens’ nosy neighbor, had been working for the animation studio since 1960, providing female voices for The Flintstones’ background characters.
Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York voiced the animated characters drawn in their likenesses in a 1965 episode of The Flintstones titled Samantha.
Viewers may notice that Samantha’s hair becomes blonder as the season progress, which is reflected in the animated opening.
Since its initial release, the introduction has undergone a number of changes, including changes to the music.
The most notable change, however, occurred when Dick York’s role was transferred to Dick Sargent.
Hanna-Barbera went back in time and substituted a caricature of Dick Sargent for the cartoon Dick York.
When Sargent took over the role, the text used for the actors’ names changed as well, with the most noticeable difference being the “D,” “I,” and “R” in their names.
Each episode’s opening and closing credits scenes were tweaked to include the name of the episode’s sponsor.
Quaker Oats, Oscar Meyer, Chevrolet, Clairol, and Kodak were among the show’s most frequent sponsors.
Jack Keller wrote the theme song for Bewitched and also contributed to The Monkees’ debut album.
He also wrote Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool, My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, and Venus in Blue Jeans for Connie Francis and Jimmy Clanton.
Keller, on the other hand, died of leukemia in the spring of 2005, at the age of 68.
Is Anyone from the Bewitched Cast still Alive?
No, all cast members are dead.
Erin Murphy is one of the few people who are still alive and working on the set of Bewitched.
Erin Murphy reprised her role as Tabitha in the YouTube comedy series TV Therapy in 2019.
This popular internet show features adult versions of iconic child characters going through therapy based on their experiences on their show.
Tabitha discussed how difficult it was for her to grow up in her family and how no one recognized that her father was two different men.
Erin Murphy is now 58 years old.
Agnes Moorehead died on April 30, 1974, from uterine cancer.
Endora, Samantha’s mortal-hating mother, was played by her.
Moorehead had agreed to film Bewitched, but she despised the show’s hectic schedule.
Moorehead had to get up at 4:45 a.m., start her makeup at 6:00 a.m., and be on set for filming until 8:00 p.m.
George Tobias, who played Abner Kravitz, died in February 1980, several years after his onscreen wife, Alice Pearce.
In 1982, Tobias was quickly followed by actress Mabel Albertson, who played Darrin’s mother.
Elizabeth Montgomery succumbed to colon cancer in May 1995.
After she died, her ex-husband, William Asher, was determined to carry on the actress’s legacy.
Montgomery was remembered fondly by Asher until his death from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease on July 16, 2012.
He spent his entire life atoning for his mistakes in his marriage with Montgomery. Melody McCord, Elizabeth Montgomery’s stand-in actress, died of heart failure in 2004.
Fox Bernard, or Dr. Bombay, was the last surviving cast member, but he died in 2016 of heart failure.
Bewitched Lives On Indefinitely
Although the characters who appeared in the adored sitcom were all human, and are all dead, the influence that Bewitched tends to leave behind will continue living on in the memories of audiences and t.v scholars forever.
No one will ever forget Elizabeth Montgomery and the relaxation of the star-studded cast’s iconic performances.
Bewitched pushed the limits of narrative, portrayal, and special effects, paving the way for television to evolve into what it is today.
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